In summary, Andrew left home for his walk downtown around 9am. The best effort recreation of his trip has him getting a haircut, going to the post office next, visiting a couple banks, Clegg's old store and then Clegg's new store....and then walked on home.
There are multiple witness sightings of Andrew carrying a small white parcel. Important to note that the first sighting is after he left Clegg's new store. At that location, Andrew also picked up a damaged lock. The parcel was clearly described as being paper, book or journal like. So it wasn't the lock.
Upon getting home Andrew walked past Bridget with the parcel, went to the dining room where Bridget saw him reading something (presumably the contents of the parcel), talks to Lizzie about mail that isn't Lizzie's, goes up to his room and comes back down. Andrew then down in a chair in the sitting room and commenced reading again. He is killed very shortly after this. There is no accounting of paper, a book, journal, etc. being found with or close to his body. A bit later, Harrington see's what appears to be a roll of paper embers in the stove fire.
I'll share my deductions & suppositions from all this info.....and await your feedback.
1) Andrew got the parcel at the post office and placed in his coat pocket until he got to Clegg's new store front.
2) Andrew picked up the broken lock and carried up S. Main. At some point, he put the lock in his pocket and began carrying the parcel.
3) Except when Andrew went to his bedroom for a brief visit, the parcel/paper/book has a clean eye witness trail.
4) Since nothing of substance related to estate planning was found in the safe (my assumption based on no reaction when safe opened), the book/paper Andrew was reading in the sitting room the last time Bridget saw him was the same parcel he was carrying on the walk.
5) Since the book/paper was not found with the body, the rolled burnt paper in the stove was the original parcel.
Imaginative deduction: When Lizzie stopped Bridget from going into the sitting room, she had a moment of clarity and realized the paper was still there. When Bridget left, Lizzie scurried in, grabbed the paper and put in the stove. Key factoid....the stove is directly between the kill spot and the side door. Easy to grab and toss in as you walk past the stove.
What I have failed to do so far is come up with a reasonable explanation of what the parcel/paper/book/journal was. A deed, will, something else?
Ok....have at it!!
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
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Ms. Mary Gallagher Witness Statement
Miss Mary Gallagher, at McManus, saw Mr. Borden at the corner of Main and Spring streets, just
turning up Spring, with a small package in his hand, at 10.15. She remembered the time, for she was just
coming down town, and looked up at the City Clock.
Mrs. Dr. Kelly Witness Statement
Mrs. Dr. Kelly. “Left the house to go to the dentist’s; looked at the clock just before going out,
10.35. Saw Mr. Borden coming around the north west corner of the house, going towards the front door,
saw him put a key in the door. He had a small package in his hand. From the way was coming, I think
he was at the side door first.” The time when Mrs. Kelly left the house is also fixed by the work girl at
10.35.
Mrs. Dr. Kelly Trial Testimony (pg. 213) Mrs. Kelly passed Andrew as he approached his front door around 10:45am.
Q. Did you see whether he had anything in his hand?
A. A little white parcel, I think.
Bridget Preliminary Hearing (Andrew had just been let in the front door by Bridget)
Q. Where did Mr. Borden go when he came in?
A. Into the dining room.
Q. You were at work in the sitting room then?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. What did he do in the dining room?
A. He sat at the head of the lounge in a chair when I saw him.
Q. There is a lounge in the dining room too?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. That is not the lounge he was found dead on?
A. No Sir.
Q. He sat in a chair? What doing?
A. Reading.
Q. You were still at work in the sitting room, washing the windows?
A. Yes Sir.
Bridget Trial Testimony (Bridget just let Andrew in the front door)
Q. Where did he go?
A. He came into the sitting room and went into the dining room.
Q. Did you see whether he had anything of not?
A. He had a small parcel in his hand, same as paper or a book’ I can’t tell what it was.
Q. Did you see what Mr. Borden did when he went into the dining room?
A. He sat down in a chair at the head of the lounge.
Lizzie inquest testimony
Q. When you (Lizzie) did go into the sitting room to ask him (Andrew) a question, if it was the sitting room, what too place then?
A. I asked him if he had any mail. He said “none for you.” He had a letter in his hand. I supposed it was for himself”
Bridget Preliminary Hearing (continued from Bridget PH testimony above)
Q. Had you finished washing the sitting room windows when she came down?
A. No Sir.
Q. You were still engaged in washing the windows?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Did you see her when you let Mr. Borden in, or only hear her?
A. No Sir, heard her.
Q. When she came down, what room did she come into from the front hall?
A. In the sitting room where I was; then she went into the dining room.
Q. That is where Mr. Borden was?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you hear her say anything to Mr. Borden?
A. I heard her ask him if he had any mail for her. I heard her telling her father very slowly that her mother got a note, that Mrs. Borden had a note that morning, and had gone out.
Q. You heard her telling that very slowly?
A. Yes Sir, to her father.
Q. Had got a note?
A. From some sick person. Of course the conversation was very low, I did not pay any attention to it; but I heard her telling her father that.
Q. What else did you hear her say to her father?
A. Not anymore.
Q. What happened then, did she stay there?
A. I do not know where she went then, I cannot tell.
Q. Do you know whether she stayed in that room or not?
A. No Sir, I do not.
Q. What did you do then?
A. I stayed washing the windows, right along until I got through.
Q. In the sitting room?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. What did you do then?
A. I came right into the dining room.
Q. Where was Mr. Borden when you came into the dining room?
A. After coming down stairs from his room.
Q. Did you see him go?
A. I saw him take the key from the shelf.
Q. Was that after Miss Lizzie spoke to him?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Where did he take the key from?
A. Off the sitting room shelf.
Q. How did he go to go upstairs, which way?
A. The back way.
Q. How long was he gone?
A. I could not tell.
Q. Was you washing windows in the sitting room when he went up the back stairs?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Were you when he came down?
A. I was just taking the step ladder from the sitting room into the dining room.
Q. When you went into the dining room, did you see Miss Lizzie then?
A. No Sir.
Q. Was she in the dining room or sitting room?
A. No Sir.
Q. Did you see her in the kitchen?
A. No Sir. I did not go out in the kitchen.
Q. When Mr. Borden went out into the kitchen, you saw him go out?
A. Yes Sir, he came out of the kitchen door, and went back again.
Q. Did you see whether Miss Lizzie went with him then?
A. I did not notice.
Q. You saw Mr. Borden when he came back?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. What did he do then when he came back?
A. He let the window down, it was up with the screen in. He took a chair and sat down near the window with a book or paper in his hand.
Q. Which window was that?
A. The sitting room.
Q. Sat in a chair near the window with a book or paper in his hand?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Was anybody in the room then?
A. Not as I saw
Policeman Harrington Trial Testimony (pg. 567) Harrington watched Bowen drop scraps of paper into the kitchen stove fire and noticed previously burned roll of paper.
Q. Now will you describe that roll of burned paper by measuring it with your hands please?
A. Well, I would say it was about that long (indicating). Twelve inches I would say.
Q. And how large diameter?
A. Well, not over two inches.
Q. You had finished your description of the size of the burnt paper. Could you tell what sort of paper it was from the embers. If you can, say so.
A. I can tell the impression I have.
Q. I don’t’ think I will ask for that.